The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-03-19
LAFAYETrEs GRAVE.
A Ansrssaa.s visit % tie Nets4 Preach
mnaea Tomb

A Paris correspondent Of the Buffalo
Cewrser writes: Having, altar much
questioning. ascertained, and that too
OF an American resident that Lafayette's
tomb IL in the ancient cemetery Of
Picpus, one Of the fourteen cemeteries
within the wall of Paris. was not
much better Cd. for had not driven far
with the cocher. whose vehicle had
taken BY the hour. before l saw that no
had no idea where the place was And
no wonder; anything moro unlike tho
entrance to . cemetery than Rue de
Plcpus IS, which after much blind driv-
ing We drew up before. just after pass.
ing the Place de Ia Nation, could not be
conceived. It looked like the ordinary
entrance to the ordinary French house.
with the walls tride higher perhapA
Our ring at the great yellow-white door
was answered 81 tho concierge. the
usual little old lady In the usual fuzzy
cheap lace cap. The site. which was
original that of an old St Augustine
monastery, is now occupied BY the
Convent OF the Sacre CGur. whose high
buildings surround the cemetery on
three sides
The convent Is q very fashionable
school," said the concierge. "Many pref
" American girls are educated here
She led US down a long, shady path.
past Aourishing kitchen garden. where
the luscious red-ripe tomatoes looked as
though they were longing to be served
with their proper accompaniment.
mayonnaise sauce. through three differ
ent doors or gates. making four in all
through which we passed. into the
quaint old cemetery. 1t is little OBJ
long plot not larger than the ordinary
city building lot and the afternoon sun
was beating down 80 ficrcely on its
gravel walks that was obliged. having
left my parasol in the carriage. to make
my stay brief.
All the French cemeteries are lacking
in taste. but this one. without blade
of green grass to relieve its time.worn
grayness. is the most austere spot in all
Paris. The burial lot of the Lafayettes
is at the lower end in corner surround
ed on two sides by brick wall and ON
the others by an iron chain. This in
closure contains six or eight tombs.
with the slabs lying fiat upon them. In
the foreground. connected by a stone
cross, are those of Lafayette and that
faithful wife. the granddaughter OF the
duke of N0ailles. who endured impris-
onment for his sake, and who, while he
was . five years captive at Olmutz,
wrote implOring letters to George Wash
ington, urging him to use his influence
to have her husband liberated. copied
- boob tho i'm ar
the slab over Lafayette's tomb. but it is
80 simple that it would be superduous
To repeat it here. 1t merely gives the
date of his birth. and beneath the mot
to. "Requiescat in pace" Two or three
of the ugly bead wreaths which one
sees in all the French cemeteries lay
upon the tomb. and was sorry indeed
that had not few fresh flowers to lay
in place of these upon the grave OF .
patriot who. instead of resting in the
Pantheon. seems so utterly forgotten in
France. Interments are now prohibited
in Picpus cemetery. which contains the
tombs of some of the most aristocratic
families of France, such as the Mont
mareneys, the GrammOnts and the
Noallies. Next to the Lafayettes lie the
Remusats. but was more interested in
peeping through an iron-barred door
close by the Lafayette slabs, where. in
a small Enclosure, the green grass is
growing over the headless trunks OF
some 1900 illustrious victims. guillotin-
ed ut the Barriere du Trone during the
reign Of terror and thrown together in
this common grave, called the Cemetiere
DIES GuillOtines.